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Impact

Barner missed practice time earlier this week while in the NFL's concussion protocol. With the 28-year-old now back to work, he could even be in line to play in the team's preseason contest Sunday against the Saints if fully cleared for action by that time. Though clearly behind Melvin Gordon and Brandon Oliver in the Chargers' backfield pecking order, Barner is looking to cement a role with the squad as a change-of-pace back/special-teamer.

08.17.17

Russell Okung did not participate in Thursday's practice due to a left leg injury, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Impact

The exact details surrounding Okung's injury have not been reported, but it's likely not a serious one, as the Charges may just be taking precautionary measures with their prized left tackle. Okung signed a massive four-year deal with Los Angeles this offseason, and unless updated otherwise, he is expected to be healthy and on the field for Week 1.

08.17.17

Eric Decker (ankle) will not play in Saturday's preseason tilt against the Panthers, Jason Wolf of the Tennesssean reports.

Impact

Decker, who twisted his ankle during Wednesday's practice, has been sidelined due to the minor issue as the Titans continue to play it safe with the veteran wide receiver. Tre McBride and Taywan Taylor could be in line for additional reps with the first team on Saturday with Decker out.

08.17.17

Zach Brown spent all of Wednesday's practice taking reps with the first-team defense, Mike Jones of The Washington Post reports.

Impact

Brown did not get the start in the Redskins' preseason opener against Baltimore, but he was out there for the team's second defensive stand. However, given that Brown took every first-team rep Wednesday, may show that the coaching staff is leaning in a certain direction with their starting unit. It's possible that they're just exploring different combinations at linebacker, but it's definitely a situation worth monitoring over the next couple of weeks.

Impact

This is reportedly a different injury than the undisclosed one Foster had been dealing with before, and he was unable to take part in any contact drills as a result. Foster was recently named the starter at right outside linebacker for the 49ers, so it's likely the team doesn't rush him back out onto the practice field with the start of the regular season just a few weeks away.

08.17.17

Kourtnei Brown (hamstring) was waived/injured by the Titans on Thursday, the Tennessean reports.

Impact

Brown had been dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him on the sidelines for the past week. He's in line to revert to IR should he clear waivers.

08.17.17

Ryan Kelly (foot) will need to undergo surgery and is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Impact

This is tough news for the Colts to swallow, as their offensive line is light on quality depth as is. With the given timetable, Kelly will likely miss at least the first two games of the regular season.

08.17.17

Cameron Erving (calf) is considered week-to-week, Andrew Gribble of the Browns' official site reports.

Impact

Head coach Hue Jackson said Wednesday that the offensive lineman would be healthy for the start of the regular season, so it looks like the team may remain cautious with Erving on a week-to-week basis. Erving, however, is fighting for a roster spot, so he'll likely look to get back on the field as soon as possible.

08.17.17

Nick Dzubnar (knee) is expected to compete for the Chargers' starting middle linebacker job in the wake of an injury to Denzel Perryman, ESPN's Eric D. Williams reports.

Impact

Dzubnar, who is bouncing back from an ACL injury that landed him on IR last season, has been a special teams ace for the Chargers in the past, but he'll get a chance for a bigger role with Perryman expected to miss two months after undergoing ankle surgery. Both Dzubnar and Korey Toomer split reps with the first-team defense during practice Wednesday, though Toomer does appear to have the advantage currently, having played in 13 games last season.

Impact

Coates was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list Wednesday and immediately thrust into competition with Hunter, who drew praise from Ben Roethlisberger earlier in training camp. While the head start will help Hunter's case, Coates is probably still the favorite due to his ability to contribute on special teams. The winner of the battle doesn't figure to have a major role on offense early in the season.

08.17.17

Trevor Siemian completed all five of his pass attempts during the red-zone period of Denver's joint practice with the 49ers, but led to just one score, Troy Renck of Denver 7 ABC reports.

Impact

Paxton Lynch, on the other hand, reportedly targeted the end zone on all six of this throws, but completed just two. Siemian can be forgiven for being reserved and taking what the defense gives him as the Broncos' quarterback battle draws to a close. Though his final stat line didn't look much better than Lynch's in the preseason opener in Chicago, Siemian looked more comfortable and kept the Broncos on schedule with smooth passing in the short and intermediate areas. It doesn't make sense for Siemian to take risks down the stretch when he's already built a sizable lead on Lynch.

Impact

Coates practiced Wednesday for the first time all training camp, immediately thrust into a battle with Hunter for what seems to be just one available roster spot. Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant (suspension), Eli Rogers and JuJu Smith-Schuster (leg) are clear locks, and Darrius Heyward-Bey always seems to stick around as a key special teamer. Coates has an advantage in terms of youth and likely special teams contributions, but Hunter impressed at training camp the last three weeks while his competition was sidelined. The winner is unlikely to serve as anything more than an occasional deep threat in Pittsburgh's offense.

08.17.17

Isaiah Burse caught two of his four targets for 14 yards in the Chargers' preseason loss to the Seahawks on Sunday.

Impact

Burse, who has been playing through a torn shoulder labrum, was reportedly one of the team's standout players through the beginning stages of training camp. The 25-year-old isn't expected to be much of a fantasy asset this season, with no less than five receivers seemingly ahead of him on the depth chart, but Burse could stick around as a return man.

Impact

Though he returned to practice last Wednesday after missing only four sessions, Moncrief apparently still hasn't worked his way back to full participation. The AC joint sprain he's dealing with is in the same shoulder he fractured last season, but it doesn't seem to be anything more than a coincidence. Moncrief is still locked in as the No. 2 receiver and figures to see action at some point this preseason, possibly as soon as Saturday against Dallas.

08.17.17

Paxton Lynch completed two of six passes for two scores during the red-zone period of Denver's joint practice with the 49ers, Troy Renck of Denver 7 ABC reports.

Impact

Trevor Siemian, who reportedly has a leg or two up on Lynch for the starting job, reportedly completed all five of his attempts during the same drill, but led his group to score just once. Lynch, meanwhile, targeted the end zone on each throw. Head coach Vance Joseph and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy have sent some mixed signals in terms of what they are looking for from a quarterback this season. Preferences for ball placement and mastery of the offense probably lean toward Siemian, but Lynch's arm talent and aggressiveness are better for yielding chunk plays. Though many have said that this competition is already over in Siemian's favor, Lynch has a golden opportunity this week: starting against a team that he will have practiced against twice during the week.

08.17.17

Jason Verrett (knee) is expected to start the Chargers' season-opener against the Broncos, Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Impact

Per coach Anthony Lynn, Verrett's slow recovery from the torn ACL he suffered during Week 4 action last season was part of a concerted effort to "be careful" with the fourth-year pro. Verrett practiced without restrictions for the first time last week, but has yet to play in a preseason contest. Should the starting right cornerback return to full health as expected, he's in line to patrol the field opposite Pro Bowler Casey Heyward.

Impact

Otherwise healthy since joining the Titans a couple months ago, Decker left Wednesday's practice early after twisting his ankle. It doesn't sound like a major ailment, but he'll probably be held out of Saturday's preseason game against Carolina. With Corey Davis (hamstring) also unavailable, Taywan Taylor and Tre McBride figure to get extended run with the first-team offense this week.

08.17.17

Stevan Ridley was cutting well during Denver's first joint practice in San Francisco, Troy Renck of Denver 7 ABC reports.

Impact

Ridley wasn't flashy in the Broncos' preseason matchup against the Bears, but garnered first-team reps and has reportedly impressed in camp. With a number of young options on the team, Ridley is likely competing with Jamaal Charles for one roster spot. Charles is the bigger name of the two, but is reportedly still shaking off rust and won't play until the third preseason game. Ridley has an opportunity to game some momentum relative to his veteran counterpart this week in San Francisco that Charles might have trouble catching up to with limited time remaining.

08.17.17

Cody Latimer has been battling a sore patella tendon for a year now, Troy Renck of Denver 7 ABC reports.

Impact

Is the glass half empty or full? On one hand, one can look at how Latimer battled through the injury last year as proof that it isn't too serious. On the other, nagging knee injuries tend to raise red flags. Either way, while Latimer is in line to start the season as the Broncos' kick returner and gunner, he's likely no better than their fourth or fifth receiver. If he ends up missing some time, don't expect Denver's pass offense to change much.

08.17.17

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians acknowledged that John Brown (quad) needs extra time to recover from injuries because he has sickle-cell trait, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

Impact

The sickle-cell trait initially was blamed for Brown's disappointing 2016, but it turned out that a cyst on his spine may have been the larger issue, with a concussion perhaps also playing a role. While the removal of the cyst allowed Brown to regain his stamina, there's nothing he can do about the slow healing process for his current injury or any future ailments. He still should have enough time to get healthy before Week 1, but the possibility for prolonged recovery timetables in the future needs to be accounted for when assessing his likely contributions. Jaron Brown has stepped up to work as the No. 2 receiver, and there's no assurance that changes before Week 1, as the Cardinals may want to limit (John) Brown's snaps in an effort to keep him healthy throughout the year. He returned to a limited practice Tuesday but may not be available for Saturday's preseason game against Chicago.